Drying machine for fabrics



Jan. 15, 1952 J. DUNGLER DRYING MACHINE FOR FABRICS Filed Aug. 31

8 5 N mm mm O IL L ENVENTQR JULIEN DUNQLER Patented Jan. 15, 1952 DRYINGMACHINE FOR FABRICS J ulien Dungler, Basel, Switzerland ApplicationAugust 31, 1946, Serial No. 694,275 In France May 22, 1946 1 Claim.

My invention refers to drying machines for fabrics which have beensubjected to bleaching, dyeing, dressing and like treatments.

The invention has for its object the provision of means facilitatingdrying of the fabrics freely i. e. allowing during the drying process auniform shrinkage in the direction both of the warp and of the weft.

As a matter of fact the formation of more or less long fabric folds inmechanical dryers, produces on the one hand an elongation of the fabricunder the action of its own weight which is increased by the weight ofthe water contained therein; on the other hand, it produces an irregulardrying by reason of the water accumulating through gravity inside thelower part of the folds of the fabric which requires an extension of thetime during which the fabric must remain inside the drying chamber;lastly, there are also produced marks at the point of contact with thebars used for hanging the fabric.

The present invention has therefore as one of its objects the provisionof means affording rapid and free drying of the fabric over a limited orpredetermined path under regular working conditions; the drying isensured according to my invention by a flow of hot gases or fluid,preferably blown in the form of jets for instance, by means of nozzlesarranged along the path followed by the fabric and throughout its width,

said jets of hot air impinging on the fabric as it passes through themachine.

My improved machine is characterized in particular by the fact that witha view of allowing free shrinking, during the drying of the fabric, inthe direction of the warp and of the weft, said machine is designed toform for the passage of the fabric, a narrow space which is defined, onthe one hand, by opposite nozzles blowing the drying fluid arrangedthroughout the width of the fabric and over a part of its path throughthe machine, and on the other hand, by conveyor means advancing througha continuous translational movement and against the carrying surface ofwhich the fabric is urged by the fluid blown on to it so that the fabricmay be carried along freely throughout the length of the narrow spacethus defined, said conveyor means being disposed in such manner that aconstant spacing in regard to the nozzles is maintained.

In order to allow my invention to be better understood, I will describenow by way of example and by no means in a limltative sense, a preferredform of execution thereof which is illustrated diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing and wherein:

An elevational view of a horizontal machine with straight and paralleldrying elements is shown a wall of the housing of the machine beingremoved to expose the inside thereof.

The embodiment shown in the drawing according to which the fabric movesthrough the machine along a rectilinear path, comprises, within theframe or casing I, two or more similar drying units 35 with extensionsl3 terminating in air blowing nozzles I 4 located at either side of thepath of the fabric a and extending throughout its width. l

The arrangement is such that the ports or slots l5 of the series ofnozzles M of the upper units 35 are located in front of the slots orports l5 of the series of nozzles 14 of the lower units 35, the distanceleft between said two opposite series of nozzles defining a narrow spaceallowing the free progress of the fabric a.

Each of the drying units 35 includes a blower system 36 for producinghot compressed air which is sent through the nozzles [4, said unitsbeing shaped in a manner similar to the drying elements with preferablytelescopic nozzles as described in my prior French Patent 856,315allow-'' ing also exhaustion of said air when discharged from saidnozzles.

The free passage afforded for the fabric a through the narrow space leftbetween the two superposed series of nozzles I 4 of the units 35 isensured through two endless belt conveyors 25 holding the fabric betweenthem as it enters at 3B the casing i, said conveyors guiding itthereafter through the narrow space mentioned until it leaves the caseat 3|.

The upper and lower conveyors 25 are driven over their respectiveturning rollers 26 and may be constituted by endless strips ofperforated fabric or of metal sheet or else by sheets of endless stringsarranged in parallelism and held at a constant spacing, said stringspassing through annular grooves provided with a suitable spacing at theperiphery of the rollers 26.

The narrow space provided between the nozzles and said rollers 26 issufflcient to allow a free passage for an endless belt conveyor 25which, inside the casing or housing, is guided by a number of turningrollers 26 of which one 26 is located on? the outside of the casing, onthe side facing the inlet 30 of the fabric a, and is submitted to theaction of a spring 21 so as to ensure an equal and constant tension forthe endless belt 25 at the same time as it cooperates with the firstroller located inside the casing. The portion of the belt within saidspace forms a feed apron for the fabric, fed by draw-in rollers 26, at avariable speed, which latter rollers are preceded by a selvagerollers-guide 29.

The continuous progress of the conveyor 25 is ensured by a certainnumber of rollers. The inlet and the outlet of the fabric a into and outof the housing is performed through slots 30 and 3|, the treated'fabricbeing finally guided to drawing rollers 32 associated for winding or forfolding of the fabric at 33.

In view of this arrangement and during the rectilinear advance orprogress of'the fabric (1 held between two conveyors 25 in the narrowspace defined by the two series of nozzles of the upper and lower dryingunits 35, it is apparent.

that the fabric is suspended simultaneously on the one hand, against theupper conveyor through the blowing action of the series of nozzles IA ofthe=lower heating element, and on the otherhand, against the lowerconveyor under the action of the blowing of the series of nozzles. M ofthe upper heating unit, which means a free passage of thefabric throughthe narrow space-bounded by the cooperating seriesof blowing nozzleswithout any contact therewith.

From-the above, itisapparent' that in the drying-.machine forming theobject of my invention, the fabric a is submitted asit progressesthrough anarrow space to a drying operation through-blowing of-hot airwhile remaining, always free to shrink both longitudinallyand-transversely.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in'accordance with thepresent invention a drying machine for treating lengthy fabric andsimilar sheet andweb-material, comprising a heat-insulated housinghaving an inlet and an outletfor said material, two horizontallyextending substantially parallel and spaced apart casings extendingbetweensaid inlet and saidoutlet, saidmcasings being provided'withopposedly arranged spaced nozzles'facingeach other, means for blowingair or other fluid through said ncz' zles and-connected to said casings,respectively, heating'means for said flu-id, endless perforated flatbelt means spaced from each other and conducted within the space betweensaid nozzles for guarding said material, said material being maintainedin a substantially floating and suspended state-'betweensaid belt meanswhen saidflu-id impinges through said belt means upon said ma- 4 terial,and means without said housing for regulating tension of one of saidbelt means, whereby contact of said material with said nozzles isprevented.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as 'new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A drying machine for treating lengthy fabric and'siinilar sheet and Webmaterial, comprising aheat-insulated housing having an inlet and anoutlet or said material, two horizontally extending substantiallyparallel and spaced apart casings extending between said inlet and saidoutlet, said casings being provided with opposedly arranged spacednozzles facing each other, means for blowingairpthrough said nozzles andconnected to said casings, respectively, heating means for said air,endless perforated flat belt means spaced from each other and conductedwithin the space between said nozzles for guarding said material,- saidmaterial being maintained. in a substantially heating and suspendedstate between said belt means when said air impinges through the latterupon said material, and means Without said housing for regulatingtension of one of said belt means, whereby the latter prevent contact ofsaid material with said nozzles.

JULIEN DUNGLER.

REFERENCES CITED The fol-lowing references are of record in-the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 835,843 Baetz Nov. 13, 1906873,723 Cohen Dec. 17, 1907 3,426,995 Parker Aug. 15, 1922' 1,595,855Bleiifil Aug. 19, 1924 1,511,400 Daly Oct. 14, 1924 1,575,366 JohnsonMar. 2, 1926 1,715,830 Glinka June 4, 1929 1,779,611 Merrill Oct.28,1930 1,951,004 Willis Mar. 13, 1934: 1,996,020 Hurxthal Mar. 26, 19352,078,292 Smith Apr. 27, 1937 2,189,915 Mellor Feb. 13, 1940 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 15,107 Great Britain Dec. 31, 1909 430,909Great Britain June 24, 1935 856,315 France Mar. 18, 1940

